Swing Connecticut district chooses Democrat Maloney again

(AllPolitics, November 3) -- Democratic Rep. Jim Maloney pulled off a victory in his tough swing district over Republican Mark Nielsen.

Jim Maloney

Connecticut's 5th congressional district was targeted early by Republicans, who viewed the freshman Maloney as one of the more vulnerable incumbent Democrats in the House.

Facing tough re-election prospects, Maloney was one of the 31 Democrats who defected from the majority of his party and voted for the Republican plan for a free-ranging impeachment inquiry of President Bill Clinton.

Nielsen spent a considerable amount of time attacking Maloney for a bill the Democrat pushed through while chairman of the state Senate's tax committee. Nielsen claims that this bill raised taxes by more than $42 million, while Maloney counters that it has consistently lowered taxes. The issue was a centerpiece of two October debates between the two candidates.

Campaign financing also became an issue for both candidates. Republicans had spent more than $200,000 for an ad that criticized Maloney's campaign financing. State Democrats responded by airing ads that portrayed Nielsen as an extremist.

Maloney, 50, graduated from Harvard University in 1972, and received a law degree from Boston University in 1980. After serving in the state Senate from 1987 to 1995, he lost his initial bid for the House in 1994, before his victory in 1996.

Nielsen, 34, received both undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard in 1986 and 1989. He served in the state House, followed by the state Senate. This was his first contest for U.S. Congress.